Triangle eyes, a triangle nose and a wide grin with two square teeth: this is the jack o lantern face everybody knows. Print our free pumpkin carving stencil, tape it to your pumpkin and follow the lines.
Why this jack-o’-lantern face?
The classic face works on any pumpkin, whether it is perfectly round or a little lopsided. The big shapes let plenty of light shine through, and the two teeth give the mouth some personality without making it tricky. It is a great pick if you want a real Halloween look on your first try.
Medium-easy: straight edges and only a few thin bridges.
Large triangles let the candlelight reach far across the porch.
Kids color it in, adults do the cutting.
The teeth turn a simple grin into a showpiece.
✂️ How to Carve a Pumpkin with a Stencil
🧰 What You Need
- A pumpkin (carving pumpkin, or a small pie pumpkin for little faces)
- The printed stencil (100 % for a medium pumpkin, about 10–12 inches)
- Tape and scissors
- A big spoon or ice cream scoop for scooping
- A poking tool, toothpick or thick nail
- A small serrated knife or carving kit (adults only)
- An LED tea light
Cut a lid at the top, angling the knife inward so the lid won’t fall in.
Scrape out the seeds and pulp – on the face side, thin the wall to about 3/4 inch.
Trim the stencil, snip the edges so it hugs the curve, and tape it in place.
Poke holes through paper and skin along every black shape, about 1/8–1/4 inch apart.
Remove the paper and cut along the dots – small shapes first, big shapes last.
Pop in an LED tea light, put the lid back on – and turn off the lights!
⚠️ Safety: knives and carving tools belong in grown-up hands. Kids can pick and color the stencil, scoop out the pumpkin and, with supervision, poke along the outlines. Use LED tea lights instead of real candles.
Idea: A pumpkin family
Carve a few pumpkins in different sizes and line them up on the steps like a little family. LED tea lights keep things safe, even on a windy night. For a window version, color the stencil on tracing paper and tape it to the glass.
📦 All 30 Stencils in One PDF
Can’t decide? Download every pumpkin face as one PDF (30 pages, A4) and take your time choosing the perfect face for your pumpkin.
📄 Download the all-in-one PDF (30 stencils)More stencils from this group:
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
What age can kids help?
Kids from about 4 can help choose and color the stencil. From around 7 they can poke the pattern and scoop the pumpkin with supervision; adults do the cutting.
Will the stencil fit my pumpkin?
Printed at 100 %, the face is about 6.7 inches wide and fits a medium pumpkin (10–12 inches). For small pumpkins, scale to 70–80 % when printing; for giant pumpkins, print on tabloid/A3 or scale up to 140 %.
Do I need to print the black areas?
The black areas show what gets cut out. To save ink, choose “draft” or “ink saver” in your print settings – the outlines will still be easy to see.
Is the stencil free?
Yes, all carving stencils and coloring pages on PureSketchy are free for personal use, preschools and schools.
Is there a German version?
Yes! You can find the German version at Klassisches Kürbisgesicht.